About Us
Helping students and teachers to realise their potential
Natalie Perera
Chief External Affairs and Communications Officer
Joined: February 2026
Natalie leads AQA’s strategic engagement, and its internal and external communications functions.
Before joining AQA, Natalie was Chief Executive of the Education Policy Institute, the research charity she co‑founded in 2015. She previously spent over a decade as a civil servant in the Department for Education, leading work across early years, children’s services, school funding and the Pupil Premium. Natalie also worked in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office during the Coalition government, advising on education and wider public policy including health and welfare reform.
She sits on the boards of two multi‑academy trusts and is a member of the Queen’s Street Group.
